Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S8

Samsung has rivaled many tech companies in recent years and has developed many of the most advanced smartphones to date. Today, we will take a look at the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S8 and compare them head to head from many different aspects.

The differences and similarities of both smartphones might surprise many consumers so let’s dive deeper.

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 received some major upgrades compared to the previous S7, but there are areas where advancements were halted. The S8 gained huge ground over the S7 with its 5.8” super AMOLED display which is about 0.7” larger than the S7’s display. Even though, both of the phones are relatively the same dimensions with the S8 being slightly larger. The display of the Galaxy S8 takes 83.6% of the front area, while the S7’s display only takes up 72%. The new S8 display also comes with improved contrast, resolution, and durability with the updated Gorilla Glass 5 when compared to the S7. 

The Galaxy S8 kept many of the favorite features from the S7 that help protect the device from future damage. The phone is still IP68 dust and water-resistant which allows the phone to be functional after being left in 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. The smartphones also sport the same aluminum alloy case and Corning Gorilla Glass for added durability and protection. Samsung ditches the USB charging of the past and opts for the modern USB-C charging style that modern Samsung smartphones use. The Galaxy S8 comes with 64 GBs of preinstalled storage versus the 32 GBs with the S7 model. However, both models are capable of expanding their memory to up to 256 GBs with microSD cards. The Galaxy S8 is offered in many different color variants: Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Coral Blue, Arctic Silver, Maple Gold, and Burgundy Red. While the Galaxy S7 is only offered in three different colors of Black, Gold, and Silver.

The Galaxy S8 disappointed many consumers in the camera department because it didn’t see as many upgrades as expected. The S8 didn’t advance much by taking the same 12 MP rear camera with optical image stabilization and 4K recording found in the Galaxy S7. This is not to say that the camera offered in the S8 is not capable of precise photography because it is. Although the rear camera of the S8 didn’t improve, you can’t say the same for the front camera. The S8 received an impressive 8 MP with screen flash feature to help with lighting compared to the S7’s 5 MP front camera.

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 model is bolstered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip which delivers an improvement in performance when compared to the S7. This offers a 10% improvement in CPU performance and 21% advanced GPU performance. Both models are equipped with 4GBs of RAM which is plenty enough for day-to-day applications when using smartphones. The same 3000 mAh battery is found in both the S8 and S7 models, so no significant improvements in the battery life department.

During the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S7 in March 2016, the retail value of the device was marked at $669. The Galaxy S8 was introduced about a year later in April 2017 and was initially priced at $724. Both smartphones have well been discounted in the used marketplace over recent years. At UpTrade, you can snag a Galaxy S7 for around $80 and a Galaxy S8 for $147.